Twenty-six political and other poems (including 'Petty Job') from the Oxford mss. Digby 102 and Douce 322. Ed., with introduction and glossarial index, by D. J. Kail ...

XII. God saue the kyng, and kepe the croun.

[Easter, 1413.] [Digby 102, leaf 110, back.] [19 stanzas of 8, abab, bcbc.]

(1)

Glade in god, call hom ȝoure herte, In ioye and blisse ȝoure merþe encres, And kepe goddis lawe in querte; Þes holy tyme, lete sorwe ases. Line 4 Among oure self, god sende vs pes! Þerto eche man be boun: To letten fooles of here res, Stonde wiþ þe kyng, mayntene þe croun. Line 8

Line 8

(2)

¶ What doþ a kynges crowne signyfye, Whan stones and floures on sercle is bent? Lordis, comouns, and clergye To ben all at [at is added by another hand.] on assent. Line 12 To kepe þat crowne, take good tent, In wode, in feld, in dale, and downe. Þe leste lyge-man, wiþ body and rent, He is a parcel of þe crowne. Line 16

(3)

¶ What signyfyeþ þe stones aboute? Richesse, strengþe, and gret bounte; Oure townes and castels, þe reme wiþ-oute, Þey are oure stones of gret pouste. Line 20 In pes þey kepe all þis contre, Holynes, contemplacioun. God, let hem neuer skaterid be, And saue þe kyng, and kepe þe crowne! Line 24

(4)

¶ By-ȝonde þe see, and we had nouȝt, But all oure enemys so neyȝe vs were, Þouȝ all here gold were hider brouȝt, I wolde set hit at lytel store. Line 28 Oure enemys wolde coke þerfore Wiþ ordynaunce and habergeoun, Wynne þat, and wel more: Oure landes, oure lyues, þe reme, þe crowne. Line 32

(5)

¶ Ȝif we among oure self debate, Þan endeþ floure of chyualrie. Alle oþere londis þat doþ vs hate, Oure feblenes wole aspye; Line 36 On euery syde þey [folio 111a] wole in hye, Þe stalworþe cast þe feble adoun. Ȝif þey wiþ myȝt haue maystrye, ffro þe riȝt heire wolde take þe crowne. Line 40

Line 40

(6)

¶ Ȝif sercle, and floures, and riche stones, Were eche a pece fro oþer flet; Were þe crowne broken ones, Hit were ful hard aȝen to knet. Line 44 Auyse ȝow er ȝe suffre þat fit; Amende, ȝe þat mende mown! Ȝe þat ben wysest, cast ȝoure wyt; Stonde wiþ þe kyng to kepe þe crowne. Line 48

(7)

¶ To kepe þe crowne, god graunte ȝow grace, And let it neuere be to-broken; For word of wynd lityl trespase; Non harm nys don, þouȝ word be spoken. Line 52 Let wysdom be vnloken, Apert and preuyly to rowne. For non euyll wille no man be wroken, But stonde wiþ riȝt, mayntene þe crowne. Line 56

(8)

¶ A man myȝte be forborn Fer fro a kynges place, Wolde make a kyng to be forsworn To lette þe lawe, it most not passe, Line 60 And make hym wene þat he grace, And holy in condicioun, And mayntene hym in his trespace, While he pykeþ þe stones out of þe crowne. Line 64

(9)

¶ A kyngdom must be gouerned by riȝt, To chastyse false þat ar aspyed. Falsed and trouþe to-gydre wole fiȝt, Til oon þat oþer haþ distroyd; Line 68 Til trouþe be fro treson tryed, Shal neuere be pes in regyon. In all kyngdomes þat man haþ gyed, To þe place of vertues, god geueþ þe crowne. Line 72

Line 72

(10)

¶ Thouȝ falsed trouþe defame, [veritas] Trouþe secheþ non hernes to shewe his speche; Trouþe, of his craft þenkeþ no shame; He is bold, alle folk his craft to teche; Line 76 And euere by trouþe stondes wreche, For wreche is goddis champioun. Or wreche smyte, god be leche, And saue þe kyng, and kepe þe crowne. Line 80

(11)

¶ Loke of þyng þat ȝe bygynne, Caste before how it wole ende, Gostly, bodyly, what mowe ȝe wynne. Eche man destroyȝe his best frend: Line 84 So dede Flaundres; how dede it wende? Of noblay þey han lore þe sown; Pray we god his bowe of wraþþe vnbende, And saue þe kyng, and kepe þe crowne. Line 88

(12)

¶ God ȝeueþ his doom to alle kynges þat be; As a god, in erþe a kyng haþ myȝt. Holy writ byd, blissed be he In alle tymes þat demeþ ryȝt. Line 92 Men do in derk, god seeþ in lyȝt. Synne, morþere, derne tresoun, Not may be hyd fro goddis syȝt. To ryȝtwys Iuge, god ȝeueþ þe crowne. Line 96

(13)

¶ That [folio 111b] lord loueþ lityl hym selue, Þat ȝeueþ his blisse for sorwe and woo, For þe loue of ten or twelue, Make alle folk his foo, Line 100 And lese þe loue of god also, For fawte of perfeccyone. Þouȝ he had no vauntage but of þo, He myȝte were a symple crowne. Line 104

Line 104

(14)

¶ Eche a kyng haþ goddis power, Of lyf and leme to saue and spille. He muste make god his partener, And do not his owen wille. Line 108 For god resceyueþ eche pore mannys bille, And of here playnt, god hereþ þe sowne. Sette ȝoure in euene skille, Counseile þe kyng to kepe þe crowne. Line 112

(15)

¶ The fadir, þe wanton child wole kenne, Chastyse wiþ ȝerde, and bete hit sore. So after, þe fadyr þe ȝerde wole brenne, When child is wys, and takeþ to lore. Line 116 We han ben goddis ȝerde ȝore, Chastysed kyngdom, castell, and towne. Twyggis of oure ȝerde we haue forlore. God saue þe kyng, and kepe þe crowne! Line 120

(16)

¶ Englische men dede maystryȝes make; Þurgh all þe world, here word it sprong. Cristen and heþen þey mad to quake, Tok and slowen kynges strong. Line 124 God let neuere werre be vs among, To lese þat blo of gret renowne, Ne neuere oure riȝt be turned to wrong. God saue þe kyng, and kepe þe crowne! Line 128

(17)

¶ Among oure self, ȝif fiȝt be raysed, Þan stroye we oure awen nest. Þat haþ victor, wole be euel payed, So many good men ben lest. Line 132 Ȝit is beter bowe þan brest. [[MS. berst]] Eche man is bounden to resoun. Ȝe þat ben wysest, take þe best; Conseile þe kyng, mayntene þe crowne! Line 136

Line 136

(18)

¶ A comons myȝt sone be shent, Wiþ-outen kyng or gouernour, And a kyng wiþoute rent Myȝt liȝtly trussen his tresour, Line 140 For comons mayntene lordis honour, Holy chirche, and religyoun, For comouns is þe fayrest flour Þat euere god sette on erþely crown. Line 144

(19)

¶ God, lete þis kyngdom neuere be lorn Among oure self, in no distance! Oþer kyngdomes lauȝhe vs not to skorn, And sey, for synne god send vengeance. Line 148 God, ȝeue vs space of repe[n]tance, Good lyf, and deuocioun; And god, kepe in þy gouernance Oure comely kyng, and saue þe crowne! Line 152